


Spellbound

by MissPoppy



Category: Detroit: Become Human (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Witchcraft, Fluff, M/M, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Some Humor, Witches
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-11-20
Updated: 2018-11-19
Packaged: 2019-08-26 07:39:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,743
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16677391
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MissPoppy/pseuds/MissPoppy
Summary: Hank has always known his hometown was a little odd. Upon returning permanently with his son, he's about to learn just what kind of oddities it holds.





	Spellbound

It feels like a lifetime since Hank Anderson has been to his hometown, but the reality is it’s been less than a year, eight and a half months to be exact. Not long at all, but driving into town, it really starts to sink in that time is a crock of bullshit and it has been a lifetime because the life he had eight and a half months ago was better than whatever he lives now. It’s only been six months since the car accident that prompted Hank to upend his and Cole’s lives and move from Detroit to his father’s home in Dearing.

 

His father’s home was their vacation home when life was good and not whatever fractured imitation it’s become. Six months ago Hank was a decorated lieutenant of the Detroit Police Department. Six months ago, Hank’s best friend and Cole’s father was alive and happy. Six months ago, his son could walk without aide and wasn’t plagued with constant nightmares. The way a tiny patch of ice can change lives is unbelievable. Hank can feel his mood diving and that itch for the whiskey in the trunk is starting up, he just needs to get to the house and he can have a drink, just one, it’s all he needs.

 

“Pops…” Cole’s tired voice chimes from the back seat where he’s squeezed in with the boxes from their old home. “You’re gonna drive past the store…”

 

“Shit!” Hank pumps the brakes as to not miss the turn to the small gas station and curses himself for getting lost in thought while driving. God he can’t wait to be done with driving for good. Nice thing about small towns, you can walk to wherever you need and that was the whole appeal of them moving here. Hank pulls into a parking spot near the station’s door, cut the engine, and looks back at Cole. “Did you wanna stay in the car or you coming in?”

 

“Nah, I’ll come in. These boxes are digging into my side and it’s a pain in the ass.”

 

“Cole, language.” Hank snorts as he climbs out of the old car and walks around to open Cole’s door. It’s his own fault his son’s language is so colourful and Cole tells him as much. “Hey Bug, want the chair or the crutches?”

 

“Bring me my polio sticks, Father!” Cole announces in a boisterously exaggerated voice loud enough that the few other people in the gas station parking lot look over at their car. Hank rolls his eyes and grabs the crutches out of the front seat.

 

“They’re forearm crutches and you can’t yell polio sticks in public, you little brat. People like died from that.” Hank hands Cole the crutches and keeps him steady as he climbs out of the car.

 

“I’ve only ever seen the kid from that dumb, old timey tv show about nurses you like use them and he had polio… therefore, polio sticks.”

 

“Don’t you dare call _Call the Midwife_ dumb again. I can disown you,” Hank quips as he holds the door open, letting Cole enter the store.

 

“Yeah yeah. ‘You made me, you can end me.’” Cole does his best to deepen his voice without laughing. “Same song and dance as always, Pops. I gotta piss, grab me a bag of chips please.”

“Language.” Hank sighs as Cole hobbles off to the bathroom at the back of the store. Hank wanders the few aisles, grabbing a different assortment of snacks and throwing them in a basket he grabbed by the entrance. The house is empty so it’s junk food and takeout till Hank can muster the courage to brave the local grocers and farmers market. Haunted by thoughts of small talk with people of the past, Hank makes his way to the register where a disinterested man is flipping through a fashion magazine.

 

The man is probably late twenties or early thirties, dressed in a cropped blue and black top, high waisted jean shorts, an oversized flannel button up tied around his waist, black platforms, and a black wide brimmed hat; he has one of those dark red matte lipsticks thats popular on his nice bow-ish lips and a sharp cat-eye liner done. He doesn’t look like he should be in some small town gas station, would be better placed in a big city working as a model. There’s an ethereal feel to him and when he looks up at Hank, the older man’s mouth dries. Moles and freckles adorn his pale skin like they were lovingly painted on, doe-like eyes stare at him warm like a campfire in summer, like this beautiful creature is seeing something attractive and not the tired, fifty-three year old man gaping at his beautiful form like an idiot.

 

“Hello, how may I assist you?” the young man says, a soft smile gracing his face as Hank attempts to remember how to speak.

 

“Hi.. uhh…. Right.” Hank smooth as ever, dumps the contents of the basket onto the counter so this gorgeous being can start ringing him up. “A p-pack of smokes too…. Whatever’s the strongest.”

 

“Coming right up, sir.” The man turns to collect the package of cigarettes. “So are you just passing through or having a family stay up at the cabins?”

 

“No umm… we’re moving into my father’s old house.” Hank says as he shifts on his feet.

 

“Oh! That’s great, it’ll be nice to have you around. We don’t see a lot of new faces around here.” The man chirps as he hands Hank his things, bagged and ready to go.

 

Before Hank can respond, Cole bounds over to him and exclaims that they have to get to the house so he can call his friends back in Detroit and tell them that they made there in one piece. Hank waves to the man behind the counter as Cole does his best to drag him outside. Once in the car and back on the road, Hank realizes he never got the young man’s name and chastises himself. He’ll probably get another chance, it’s a small town after all and it’s hard to miss people if you’re looking for them and Hank has a feeling he’ll be looking for that young man a lot in the next few days.

  
  


*****

  


Once they arrived to the house, Hank starts moving their belongings inside, piling box after box into the living room. Cole declares he need to check on his fort in the woods and takes off before Hank can stop him. It’s good he supposed, Cole returning to some kind of normalcy after everything that’s happened. Hank can hear Cole laughing from the behind the house where the yard ends and the forest begins. Once Hank fully unloads the car, he rounds the house to find Cole sitting in the backyard with large St. Bernard draped across his lap.

 

“Pops, look! Can we keep him?” Cole shouts. The massive dog looks up at Hank before flopping his head back down onto the boy’s legs, clearly enjoying the small hands patting his head and neck.

 

“I dunno, he might have a family already…” Hank hates saying no to his son but it wasn’t their dog.

 

“But he doesn’t have any tags and he was sleeping on the back porch like he was waiting for us!”

 

“Cole…” Hank sighs, this wasn’t going to be easy. Cole’s stubborn and so is Hank, apple doesn’t fall far from the tree and all that nonsense.

 

“That mutt? He’s a stray, if you’re gonna take him then you’ll be doing everyone around here a favour.” A familiar voice calls out and Hank whips around to see a man at the gate separating the back and front yards. Cole whoops at the knowledge shared, hugging their apparent new dog.

 

“Speaking of strays…” Hank mutters as he walks over to the gate. “How have you been Gavin?”

 

“As good as a guy can be I guess… boyfriend’s still a bitch. Anyway… What the fuck are you doing in town, Anderson? Don’t usually see your ugly mug this time of year.” Gavin laughs, leaning against the side of the house as he lights a cigarette. Hank stares at the other man, watching him take a drag of the cancer stick before meeting his eye with a curious glint.

 

“Finally said fuck it to the city, needed a slower pace of life, ya know?” Hank says as he stands next to Gavin, looking over at Cole playing with his new lumbering best friend. Maybe a dog isn’t a bad idea if it means his boy smiles likes he used to.

 

“My life in this town has never been slow and I’m offended you’d think it would be, Anderson.” Gavin follows Hank’s line of sight and lets a rare soft smile pass by on his face as he looks at Cole before a heavy frown replaces it when he sees the crutches laying on the ground. “Hank, what happened that made you decide to pack up everything and move here…?”

 

“Gavin…” Hank sighs. He doesn’t want to talk about this, but it’d be rude to his friend if he wasn’t aware so they stand in a tight silence as he works up the courage and bites back the bile rising in his throat at the thought of talking about it. Gavin waits, lets Hank take his time which the older man is grateful for.

 

“We… We got into a car accident about six months ago… It was really bad. I was okay, minor head bleed and a broken arm. Cole’s lucky he still has motor function even if it’s limited... And Shannon… Fuck.” Hank can feel his eyes start to burn, can feel the sob trying to rip itself out of him. “I fucking killed him, Gavin. I hit a patch of ice and flipped that stupid SUV that he said was safer than my shitty car and fucking killed him…”

 

“Hank…”

 

“He was my best fucking friend and now he’s dead and it’s my fucking fault.” Hank doubles over on himself as he fights back tears, he’s going to upset Cole and he hates it. Gavin rubs his back and waits for Hank’s quiet, shuddering sobs to pass.

 

“Hey, why don’t we head inside, order some takeout, crack open ol’ Jeb’s liquor cabinet, and watch some dumb daytime soap while Cole plays out here with his new bestie?” Gavin leans over to look Hank in the eye and the older man lets out a wet sounding laugh.

 

“Sure, you just want free food, you goblin of a man.” Hank wipes his face and stands straight, Cole has been unaware of his father crying and is trying to teach the St. Bernard how to fetch with a stick, the dog seems more happy with napping in the sun in all honesty but he knows Cole won’t give up.

 

“I mean you’re right on all accounts but I was going to offer to babysit Cole tonight so you can have a night walk in exchange.” Gavin grins up at Hank and the older man shakes his head, setting off around for the front of the house.

 

“Fine, free food and booze for you, but you have to be the one to bathe that tank of a dog.”

 

“Anderson no… you fucking suck!”

 

“What else is new?” Hank laughs as he walks up the steps to the house’s entrance. “I’m gonna take you up on that night walk though.”

  
  


*****

  


Once the sun starts setting, Hank starts feeling better. Him, Cole, and Gavin set themselves up on the living room floor, watching some kids movie Cole picked out, and going to town on a couple pizzas. Hank watches as Gavin eats two whole deluxe pizzas in mild disgust, the man has an unnatural appetite and being around him and food is never an enjoyable experience. After dinner, Hank leaves Gavin to watch Cole and starts out for a walk in the woods. It’s a cool night but not enough that Hank needs more than his old DPD hoodie to keep the chill off him. The moon is out in full, illuminating the forest path well enough that Hank didn’t need his flashlight, though it’s tucked away in his pocket in case the sky decides to cloud over. The forest’s quiet except for the sound of the dirt under Hank’s boots and the occasional caw of a single crow overhead. It’s nice, it empties Hank’s mind of unpleasant thoughts and images, leaves him with just the whispers of the wind telling its tales through the woods.

 

There’s a flicker of light that catches Hank’s eye and he slows to a stop, squinting to catch sight of it again. Is he seeing things? His mind can’t help but wander back to the stories his mother told him as a child of the dangers that lurk in dark forests and Will-o’-the-wisp. But that can’t be it, right? Hank saw another flicker and quickly ducks around a couple trees to get closer to it. Once he’s close enough, he can properly see the small flame dancing in the night.

 

“A candle… Who the fuck put this here?” Hank whispers to himself, looking around and spotting more ahead. He follows them until he finds a circle of them in a small clearing, with a person standing in the center with a large book open in one hand.

 

“Keepers of the wood, please hear my call! Show me the path of the one I seek!” The person turns in Hank’s direction and he has to quickly duck behind a bush as to not be noticed. A gasp bubbles up his throat as he stares at the young man he met at the gas station that afternoon. The man begins speaking in a language Hank hasn’t heard before, when he stops, the candles around him start to burn brighter and Hank swears he can hear human voices in the wind now. Just as the man is about to start speaking again, Hank’s phone chimes in his pocket. The man drops the book he’s holding and his eyes snap straight to Hank’s, large and startled. A gust of wind blows through the clearing, snuffing out every candle as the man takes off in a dash, swiping up his book and taking off into the dark of the forest.

 

“Wait!” Hank yells after the man and thinks about chasing him down but decides against it, he already looks like a right creep poking his head over some bushes, the last thing he should be doing is running after some gorgeous twink playing with apparent magic in the woods at midnight. He turns and begins his trek home, thoughts stuck on the beautiful, mysterious man the whole way back.

 

Hank reaches the edge of the woods behind his house when he notices an albino crow sitting on the fence surrounding the backyard, it takes one long look at him before taking off into the night. Gavin’s sitting on the back stoop, having a smoke while talking to the dog Cole had deciding to name Sumo.

 

“Well it can’t be good if they sent him… Hank! How was the walk?”

 

“It was… weird. Are you talking to the dog?” Hank furrows his brow while looking between the two.

 

“Sure was. Got something for you.” Gavin starts rooting through his jacket, intent on finding whatever it was he wanted to give Hank.

 

“Gavin, whatever it is, I’m sure I don’t want it. I just want to head inside and pass out in my bed.” Hank sighs and starts up the stoop to the back door leading into the kitchen. He just needs to have a drink and go to bed, convince himself what he saw was just his imagination.

 

“Here it is.” Gavin pulls out a wrinkled envelope and holds it out.

 

Hank stares at him like he’s an idiot.

 

“My dear Hank Anderson, your ass is to head to the old Jericho house and speak with the Arkait brothers and the rest of the coven. You’re being summoned.” Gavin’s smirk is near devilish. Sumo just harrumphs and lays down.

 

“I’ve being what now?”

 

“Summoned. Don’t worry I have the local babysitter coming over so I can meet you there.” Gavin stands and stretches like he’s a cat. Hank has no clue what’s going on now but he has a feeling it has to do with the man in the woods.

**Author's Note:**

> come talk to me on twitter @pixikuma


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